[Peter Zack]

I was reading Salty's thread https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/17309-lba-pentax-35-105-...tml#post143100
and thought we might have a discussion on some of the lesser known lenses from either Pentax or 3rd party manufacturers. Heck you just can't fuel the LBA enough anyway now can you??

I noticed in that thread and also several others that responding posters will mention other favour lenses with only a few details. So this could help all of us keep an eye out for that unusual lens.

It might be an interesting resource for those that find a neat looking lens at the local pawn shop for $5.00. So other than the classics FA*,DA* etc, why not post a picture of the lens you use a lot and like. Theres lots of "Oldies but Goodies" out there that maybe we should share with each other.

To start. Not a really rare lens but I think often overlooked in favour of newer glass. I have a 70-210 F SMC 4-5.6 That fitted with a hood is as sharp and contrasty as any lens I've seen ( and I really liked the A* 85mm f1.4) Yeah it needs a little more light and is as ugly as a sin, but this lens is a keeper. They seem to sell for the same or less than the DA50-200 and IMO is the better lens. A little heavier (metal and more glass?), no quick shift but still a great mid length lens. Works well with the AF1.7 TC too!

Shown with the Takumar 135mm screw on metal hood that I leave on all the time. A 58mm lens cap fits on the end of the hood.


Taken hand held.


Taken with a little too slow a shutter speed and the AF1.7TC attached

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Last edited by Peter Zack; 12-31-2007 at 07:03 PM.

[and]

My fave would be the Voigtlander 125mm macro. Everything is superb.
superb sharpness, suberb build quality, superb speed, superb bokeh, superb MF ring feel, suberb lens qualities (no CA, no PF) etc. great as a macro, great as a portrait lens, great for anything

[igowerf]

My favorite lens overall? Definitely my FA 50mm f/1.4, but that one is too obvious, I suppose.

I recently got a Jupiter-9 85mm screwmount off the Marketplace forum. It's a little weird to use because the aperture ring is at the front of the lens, but it's still a great lens. It's quite susceptible to lens flare so I got a nice, metal, screw-on lens hood from eBay. The front of the lens hood is 58mm so I can leave the lens hood permanently mounted and just cap the hood with a spare 58mm cap.

Here are some pictures that I took on Christmas day using the Jupiter-9:
Southern California Christmas

[Mike Cash]

My absolute favorite? My S-M-C Takumar 105/2.8.

[Canada_Rockies]

Since I got the k10d and the DA* 16-50 f/2.8 finally arrived, I have found the focal range and image quality to be very good. I have begun to leave it on the camera until I specifically need a different lens.

This is not terribly surprising to me, because the MZ-S and FA 24-90 were a similar combo.

[borno]

This one's on my k10d alot- an old tamron sp 80-200 f2.8 (doubles as a weapon) taken with my latest fix- an smc a 50mm f1.7 (already had a 1.4 but for $40 at the pawn shop I couldn't resist )

[little laker]

You'll have to pry my Vivitar series 1 28mm f2.8 from me after I'm buried

It's my #1 landscape lens, although it isn't good for much more.

I really don't think that I'd want to give up any lens for all that long.

[Pooky125]

My favorite would have to be, my Sigma 90mm 1:2 macro, with lifesize adapter. I haven't seen one like it before or since, but it basically lives on my camera.

[-=JoN=-]

Sigma 28mm f/1.8 EX hardly ever leaves the K10d
tho now the 10-17mm pentax fish eye is making my jaw drop w/ every frame...

[CJSpangler]

Currently I have been extensively using the Voightlander 180mm outdoors and have been extremely happy with it. It is very sharp, gives some very nice colors and it at a nice telephoto range where I can still pick birds/animalsout of trees nearby while walking on paths in the woods/local park.

The manual focus was a bit to get use to but I slowly am developing an eye for it and the beep/green light tends to help as well. I actually like the manual focus.

Ironically enough I have yet to really try the 125mm yet outdoors.

[m8o]

I'm a bore, and predictable... I guess it's got to be the Sigma 300mm f/2.8 EX DG. I was going to type the Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 APO-Lanthar Macro which was glued to my camera for weeks after purchase, but suddenly the Sigma was being typed out. I guess it's because when I shoot [either real or semi*] wildlife, it's the only lens I consider, and it's the one I've taken the lion's share of my captures with.

* re: "semi-wildlife" ... see my recent thread on the black squirrels of Peter Cooper Village NYC.

[Ash]

Not many choices for me at this stage, but again (being even more boring than m8o), it's FA 50/1.4 for being the most used, and FA 100/2.8 macro for stunning close-ups (love the colors rendered from this cannon of a lens - NB not canon).

[SupremeMoFo]

It has to be the DA 16-45. I use it by far the most and the wideangle is just brilliant. Colours, contrast etc fantastic, useable close up focusing thanks to the 1/8th turn of the focusing ring from .28m to .45m.

The Sigma 70-200 f2.8 comes close but the chromatic aberration at wide aperture on the long end is tiresome.

[jgredline]

Peter
Since I do not have any special lenses, I will merely point out my fav 3
My DA*50-135 F/2.8
My Tamron 28-75 F/2.8
My Tamron 18-250mm lens.

Special mention
70-300 sigma apo
135-400 sigma apo

[Mechan1k]

At the moment ... it's a toss up between the FA50 and the Tamron 90mm SP macro lens.